The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has won the Devex Hackathon Challenge hosted by Arizona State University, USA, under the thematic area of Business Transforming Development Hackathon challenge. The competition was keenly contested by 20 different universities from 6 different continents. The grand finale which was organised by Devex World and crowned with virtual conference with World renowned speakers on Thursday, 10th December, 2020 and the announcement of all the winners of the various thematic areas. Representing the KNUST student team in an interview by Devex World Hackathon Group via zoom, Mr. Danso Jephter Kumuyi, indicated that, the purpose of the project was to contribute to the achievement of the Indicators 11.6 and 11.7 of Sustainable Development Goal 11, by producing affordable and enhanced prosthesis fabricated from medical plastic and carpentry wastes. In practice, the project contributes to a sustainable environment, clean cities, and improved mobility for amputees, in developing economy context.
The KNUST team was made up of 5 students with 4 of them from the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources namely, Kyei Baffour Papa Kwasi Baah, Sarfo Isaac Jnr, Emmanuella Bema Appiah, Opoku Justice and Mr. Danso Jephter Kumuyi of College of Engineering.
The team members were assigned different responsibilities to accomplish the project titled ‘Design, Fabricate and Test lower limbs prosthetic using selected recycled solid waste’. KNUST’s enrolment was initiated by the Director of the Office of Grants and Research (OGR), Professor Robert Clement Abaidoo upon invitation by Arizona State University. The proposal received the blessings of the Vice Chancellor Prof. Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson. The KNUST team was identified and managed by Dr Mrs. Eunice A. Adjei of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Hackathon is an event targeted at university students around the world who are committed to making a difference in their communities and around the globe. Hackathon challenge was originally focused on computer programming, but has evolved into events tackling an array of design challenges. The challenge maximizes the learning experience, simulates the design, builds, and implements innovative solutions to challenging problem statements submitted by community, industry as well as university partners aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Also, it offers students an opportunity to gain insight into possible challenges that they may encounter when they reach the workplace and it starts with definition of the problem (needs), forming teams, getting down to work, and meeting deadlines.